If all you need is a simple brochure site with basic information about your business, hosting your site is will be relatively easy and won’t cost you anything.
So how do you get it on the internet? Well, as is often the case in the virtual world of the internet, you don’t need to have the server in your office. In fact, it’s very unlikely that you will. The cheapest and easiest option, and the one which most small businesses choose at the start, is to have a virtual host.
This basically means getting a third party to host your site. The files for your website are stored on the hosting company’s computer along with the files for other websites and their server deals with requests for your website and others. This is called shared environment hosting. Currently in the UK there are hundreds of companies that will host your site in a shared environment. If you already have a website and domain name you may have already come across offers of free web hosting.
Your internet service provider (ISP) – the company through which you access the internet such as BT or AOL – will often give you a small amount of space on which to host a website. Alternatively, the company that registered your domain name will often provide access to a free or low-cost hosting service. It may be a natural step to use one of these companies to host your website since you already have a business relationship with them. However, you need to be aware of the restrictions that they may place on you in terms of space, features and support.
You should bear in mind that the main activity of an ISP is connectivity – that is, getting and keeping businesses and individuals connected to the internet. The resources of these companies may not be prioritised on keeping your website running.
There are, however, companies that have been set up solely for the purpose of hosting websites. Some of these have invested a lot of money in technology and support services to ensure the sites that they host are secure and always accessible from the internet and that their customers are given all the necessary support.
If you just have a simple brochure site that needs little maintenance or technical support, using your current ISP or a free package is likely to be sufficient. For this type website, your main concerns will be how quickly the page appears on the screen and whether there are any occasions when it doesn’t appear.
One of the best ways to find out how good a service is is through trial and error. You won’t be paying a great deal if anything at all for the service, so experimenting won’t be expensive. You can always move on if you’re not satisfied.
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